Race game apparatus



March 13, 1934. A. GUEYDAN 1,951,051

RACE GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1931 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE Application February 25, 1931, Serial No. 518,155

In Germany March 2, 1930 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a new and improved race game apparatus in which racing figures are caused to move freely along a reciprocated track comprising curved portions, the

main object of the invention being to provide a device whereby said figures will be made to travel on the curved portions of the race-way, without being drifted outwards by the action of centrifugal force.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means permitting the iigures placed on the long bend of the curved portions, to run over said portions in the same lapse of time as the gures placed on the short bend, in order to sem cure equal chances of winning to the Various racing gures.

This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the race game.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the actuating device.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the casing or frame supporting the board 2 upon which is placed the race-way. The race-way is formed with interconnected straight and curved portions 3, 1i, 5, 6, th straight portions being in this form of embodi- 50 ment provided with hollowed out obstructions. The track portions can preferably be made oi light material such as thick paper, stiiened cloth or the like and their transverse rigidity secured at their ends by means of thin metal blades. Within the casing is iixed the bar 9 upon which are pivotally mounted the levers 10 and 11 the pivoting points of which 12 and 13 are situated out of the centre of curvature of the curved track portions. The ends of the levers are provided with pins 14, 15, 16, 1'?, which project upwardly, pass through apertures formed in the board 2 and engage holes made in the superposed ends of the track portions, thereby connecting all the said portions together. A connecting rod 18 is provided to impart simultaneously to the levers 10 and 11 a determined reciprocating motion, transmitted thereby, to the whole track system. In the form of embodiment illustrated, the reciprocating motion is obtained by means of a rotatable toothed wheel 19 engaging with an oscillatable lever 20 connected to the extending arm of the rod 18, and acting against the pull of a spring 21. The tension of the spring can be regulated and adjusted by means of an excentrical cam 22 controlled by the knob 23.

The racing iigures shown on Figure 2 represent horses and riders and can advantageously be provided with a rocking base permitting them o0 to redress automatically in the right direction whenever they may be turned aside by the obstacles. The obstacles can preferably be formed with transverse rows of periorations 7 and 8, which hold momentarily the base of the racing 05 iigures which by chance engage with them.

Now the tension of the spring being suitably adjusted and the toothed wheel regularly rotated, the race track will be made to reciprocate and the horses will move by impulse in the direction indicated by the arrows. It will be seen that the excentrical position of the pivcts 12 and 13, about which the curved track portions are made to swing, prevents the moving horses to be gradually drifted outside the Il track, by the action of centrifugal force. In fact the horses are made to run from the end of the curved track controlled by the short arm or radius of the levers 10 or 11, to the other end controlled by the long arm of said levers, so that in spite of their lateral deviation due to centrifugal force, they will travel, from one end of the bend to the other, parallelly to the tracks edges. The main advantage of this feature, is to allow the racing iigures to run round the race-way, as long as necessary, without getting out of the track.

It will be seen moreover that by turning the knob 23, the speed of alternate reciprocating strokes may be changed and consequently be modied the speed of the horses. With a spring having a strong tension, for instance, the horses placed on the long side of the curve, will move slower, comparatively to those running on the short bent; the inverse will happen when the 05 springs tension will be released. It will therefore be possible to adjust the springs tension, in such way, that all the horses will run over the curved track portions in the same lapse of time, and this is most important, since all the horses, running either on the long or of the short course, will have equal chances of winning. It is to be understood that changes or modifications within the scope may be made to the present apparatus, actuating device or movable gures, whenever it is deemed desirable.

I claim:

1. A race-game apparatus comprising a rigid board supporting a race-Way having curved portions, said portions being adapted to swing about pivots situated outside their respective centres of curvature, adjustable means for imparting to the race-way a determined reciprocating motion, and movable gures placed freely upon the race-Way.

2. A race game apparatus comprising in combination, a casing, a board held by the casing and Supporting a, raefway termed with Straight' and Curve@ portions interfsvnrletsd Sp as to "form an endless course, levers connected to the curved portions and mounted within the casing upon pivots situated outside the centre of curvature of said portions, means to impart to the race-way a determined reciprocating inotion, said means including an adjustable spring and a rotatable toothed Wheel engaging with an oscfllatable lever, and movable gures placed freely upon the race-way.

3. A race game apparatus comprising in com bination, a casing, a board held by "the casing and supporting a race-Way formed with straight and curved portions interconnected so as to form an endless course, rows of hollowed out obstacles formed in the race-Way, levers connected to the curved portionsl and mounted Within the casing upon pivots situated outside the centre of curvature of said portions, means connected to the levers to impart a determined reciprocating motion to the race-way, said means including an adjustable spring and a rotatable toothed Wheel engaging with an oscillatable lever and movable figures, provided with rocking bases, to be moved freely upon the race-Way.

4. An apparatus wherein objects are made to move along a reciprocated track comprising a curved portion pivotally mounted upon a base plate at' a point eccentric to the curvature of said portion.

ARTHUR GUEYDAN.

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